LUZ MARIA LLUVIAS FLORES – Lawyer and others

March 26, 2012

LUZ MARIA LLUVIAS FLORES – Lawyer

RAÚL CRESPO CASARRUBIAS – Lawyer

OSIRIS MARLENE AVILA ARELLANES – Lawyer

BERNARDO SÁNCHEZ CRUZ – Lawyer

On November 12, 2003 Luz Maria Lluvias Flores appeared before the local representative of the State Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público del fuero común) in regards to her work for three people from the marginalized neighbourhood of Vista Hermosa. Flores’ human rights organization, Centro de Derechos Humanos “José María Morelos y Pavón”, had taken on the case after the three individuals were allegedly verbally and physically assaulted by a municipal official from Chilapa de Alvarez, his son and his two bodyguards on November 2, 2003.[ AMR 41/055/2003]

Flores attended this meeting with two colleagues, Osiris Marlene Avila Arellanes and Raúl Crespo Casarrubias. The municipal official allegedly responsible for the attack was in attendance for the meeting, accompanied by two body guards. The official asked Flores for the names of her two colleagues. Flores refused to name them. Reportedly, the official then threatened Flores, saying: ”Si sigues interviniendo en mi contra, ándate con cuidado si es que no quieres tener problemas conmigo” (“If you continue to work against me, be careful if you don’t want to have problems with me”). As well, in the presence of the representative of the State Prosecutor’s Office he threatened: ”Si sigues interveniendo en el caso voy a proceder en tu contra armandote un buen delito”. (“If you continue interfering, I am going to frame you with a crime”). Since this meeting the bodyguard and the official’s son have been observed watching the offices of the human rights centre at least four times.[ AMR 41/055/2003]

On November 18, 2003, Bernardo Sánchez Cruz, the president of the human rights centre, was allegedly threatened by the same municipal official. On November 19, 2003 an individual visited the centre and repeatedly requested the name and home address of the centre’s coordinator.[ AMR 41/055/2003]

LRWC is particularly alarmed by these acts of intimidation as they appear to be part of a growing trend of harassment and violence against advocates by state and local officials.